Your Guide to Apartment Living With a Pet Part 3

By The Vet Set23 February 2018

Living in an apartment with a pet can be challenging

With neighbors all around you looking for some peace and quiet, a landlord to contend with and the inconvenience of not having a yard to let your pet out into, owning a pet when you live in an apartment can seem like more hassle than it’s worth. But, if you ask almost any pet owner, they’ll you that they wouldn’t trade their fur baby for anything. The truth is that that the love of a pet is worth any struggle or inconvenience raising them may cause, and there are lots of things that you can do as a pet owner to make living in an apartment with a pet easier on you both. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series to learn about the steps we’ve already covered for apartment living with a pet, and keep reading to learn about the last few steps.

Step 6. Devise a plan for smells and waste.

A kitty litter box in a small space can quickly make your entire apartment stink to high heaven, so it’s important to have a plan in place for keeping those odors at bay. One of the most important things you can do to reduce odors is to make it a point to scoop out your cat’s litter box on a daily basis and replace the litter every week. The box itself should replaced on an annual basis — or sooner if it starts to smell. You could also consider investing in an air purifier or plants that help to purify the air (just make sure they aren’t toxic to cats in case your cat tries to chew them).

If you are raising a puppy who can’t quite hold it until you get home, section off a small area of your home so that they don’t have accidents all over. Consider investing in absorbent puppy pads to prevent your new puppy from ruining the flooring in your apartment, and change them after every accident. And, when accidents do occur, make sure that you clean them up completely.

Step 7. Develop a routine.

Regardless of where you live, developing a routine for your pet is important, but it’s especially important for people living in apartments. Make sure that you feed your pet, take them outside for bathroom breaks and exercise them at the same time every day. But what makes developing a routine for your pet so important? For starters, both cats and dogs are creatures of habit, and it will be easier and less stressful for your pet to get through the day when they know what to expect. To put it simply, when your pet has a set routine, they will more secure in the world around them, which is important with all of the noises in a typical apartment.

Step 8. Socialize your pet.

Socializing your pet is important no matter where you live, but when you live in an apartment with other people close by, the need to socialize your pet becomes even greater. Chances are, many of your neighbors have pets too, or there are other pets being walked and played with in your neighborhood. Having an anti-social or aggressive pet will make every single trip outside difficult and nerve-wracking for both you and your pet, so socializing your pet is of the utmost importance. Scheduling play dates with friends who have pets, enrolling your pet into daycare with other pets and taking your dog to the dog park are all great ways to encourage your pet to be more social.

We hope that this guide will help to quell some of your concerns about living in an apartment with a pet, and make it easier on both you and your pet. If you have any questions or concerns, contact our veterinarian in Carroll Gardens today! We’re always happy to help!